Posted by: Author | July 11, 2010

Flowing? Maybe!

As those of you who read this blog may know, my newest WIP has been kicking my butt- you know, the one about the surfer? It seems like every word is being ripped forcibly from my head to the keyboard.  I could sit at the computer for 3 hours and write 600 words.  I am normally MUCH faster than that.  I think part of my problem was that I normally write straight through and then edit. After having listened to my friend, Sayde Grace, who writes a chapter and edits it before she goes on to the next one, I decided to try  it that way.  She recommended it because when she types “The End” she really is done. I’m here to tell you, it doesn’t work for me. At all.  It interrupted my flow so much, I was stymied.  Couldn’t make any forward movement for being bogged down in edits- I actually dicked around with Chapter One three times and was still unhappy with it. And stuck with two chapters and no forward momentum.

Decided yesterday to stay loyal to my own writing process. DUH moment there. When I got home from the Gulf Coast RWA chapter meeting last night, I started the next scene in Chapter Three of the WIP and I was flowing.  Not the “fire in the blood” flowing yet, but I can feel it lurking- it’s close. Very close…

  Well, maybe! We’ll see when I get back from the requisite Sunday dinner with the parents.

SURF’S UP?

2 Comments

Posted in Writing | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Posted by: Author | July 9, 2010

Friday Facts- July 9, 2010- Palindromes

I’ve always been considered a word smith- people even made that comment before I came out of the writing closet. I just love words. They make me happy and I like to learn new meanings all the time.  I can sometimes be found under a shade tree reading the unabridged Oxford Dictionary with a cabana boy fanning me –

(PFFFT! That part’s hogwash).   

Truthfully, I’m a palindrome fan. A palindrome is a word or phrase that can be read the same way frontwards and backwards. The most famous one of course is a Napoleon quote: Able was I ere I saw Elba.  I wonder how long he had to think to come up with that. Or did it  just flow right out of his brain and out of his lips?  It is  an appropriate quote, isn’t it? He was quite the able general until he was exiled to Elba.  (and that’s not Elba, Alabama, baby!) Or is it just an urban legend that he actually said those words? I don’t have a clue except that it has always been attributed to him.

Female names are also fun palindromes: Hannah, Emme, Eve. More fun palindromes are parents’ names: dad, mom, pop.  There are lots of these words in the English language.  What about racecar?  Bob, tot, level, redder, etc., I could go on but you get the drift. These are fun to think about. 

There’s a kid’s book on Amazon.com that’s cute.  Check it out:  The title itself is a palindrome.  Leave a comment in the comments section and see if you can think of a palindrome I haven’t heard.

There is also a thing called a semordnilap- which is palindrome spelled backward – it is a word that spells something else backwards.  As in desserts and stressed.  Wow your friends with that at your next gathering. I promise, I don’t make this stuff up, really!

6 Comments

Posted in Friday Facts | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: Author | July 8, 2010

Jealousy

I have never understood the concept of jealousy. I mean, on an intellectual level, I “get” it, but I’ve never been a jealous person myself. I have some family members and friends that are jealous and I see how hard they make life on themselves with that emotion.  I’ve always felt there was enough work for me to do that I didn’t need to have professional jealousy. I have tried, in the day job, to be a mentor to younger lawyers as I’d rather go head to head with a competent person than walk all over an idiot. I’ve had some other lawyers tell me that I shouldn’t help the younger ones because they will compete with me for business. I have to say, I have made a nice living for a long time and I’m not threatened by such statements.

I feel the same way about trying to break into fiction. I am  genuinely happy when one of my friends gets a contract. I may never be that successful with my full length romance novels ( I have sold some short stories to small presses) but I rejoice with my friends as they get the recognition they deserve.  Again, there will be enough editors and publishers for all of us if we can just find the right person to love our work.

I find great joy in the writing process itself.  Not so much today, as the words in this WIP of mine are being wrested from the key board. It seems like this story is not coming from my heart yet. I haven’t gotten to the stage that I call the “fever in the blood” stage.  That’s when my veins catch fire and I can’t peck on the keys fast enough to keep up with my thoughts.  I hope it’ll happen soon. If not, gotta move on to another story.  I hate to abandon this one as I have some great things planned but there is no joy right now in it.

I was searching for some quotes today for this WIP since I start each chapter with an apropos quote and I found this one by writer Joan Didion, who was the sister in law of Dominic Dunne.  It really hit me- this is true and may explain why I don’t feel jealous.  I have tons of faults, but I’ve always had an over abundance of  self confidence.  Here’s the quote:  To cure jealousy is to see it for what it is; a dissatisfaction with self.

I believe this is true. Never thought of it this way but now that I’ve read the quote, I see the dissatisfaction with self  in the people to whom I referred in the first paragraph of this post.  Sad.

check out an adorable dog owned by a client

7 Comments

Posted in Random thoughts, Writing | Tags: , , , ,

Posted by: Author | July 7, 2010

Wordless Wednesday

4 Comments

Posted in Wordless Wednesday | Tags: ,

Posted by: Author | July 6, 2010

Vicomte de Valmont

The novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses has to be one of the most adapted novels of all time.- except for maybe the Jane Austen ones.  I’m pretty sure it is one of the most adapted that has revenge as its premise.  Plays have been staged and movies have been made, and who knows, maybe even a radio show or two has been aired.  There was even a musical called The Game.

 I enjoyed the book a lot.  Read it back in the dark ages when I was in high school (and yes, geek that I am, I read it for fun, not classwork.  I also read the whole Encyclopedia Britannica  from A to Z  but that’s another story).  Anyway, the book itself is written as a series of letters. Really cool concept.

 Anyway, I digress.  The movie Valmont was good as was the movie Cruel Intentions.  I’ve not seen any of the stage adaptations but I would if they’d do another one. I’m at work right now and putting off something really important and  thought I’d conduct an unscientific poll.  Which Vicomte de Valmont do you prefer? 

I am attaching a picture of Ryan Phillippe although he was not technically a Vicomte in the movie Cruel Intentions but he was  a Valmont and it is only fair to include him. 

I bet anyone that knows me will know my vote. 

4 Comments

Posted in Books, Random thoughts | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Author | July 5, 2010

Versatile Blogger Award

Been nominated for the Versatile Blogger Award by my friend, Danica Avet- http://danicaavet.wordpress.com/–  The rules (paraphrased) are:

(A) to thank the person that nominated you.  Thanks, Danica (done). (B) Share 7 things about yourself.  (C) Name 15 people who are awesome and whose blogs you follow. (D) Drop in on the 15 blogs and tell them you love them.

Here are the 7 things about me:  (1) I am addicted to shoes. When I was recently in NYC, my family (long legged guys) had out paced me by a half block and I stopped to go in a store where a pair of shoes caught my eye. Was paying for them, downstairs, and turned to see #1 son.  I asked how he found me and he said, “Came back down the street til I saw a store w/shoes in the window.”    (2) I adore Broadway shows and will fly to NYC for a weekend to see one.   (3) I hate hot dogs and I sometimes eat cake for breakfast.  (4) I’m claustrophobic. In a major way. Watch out if I ever get a window seat on a plane- the panic attack can be lethal.  (5) I won’t own a car that is not a convertible. (6) I am planning to run away with Alan Rickman someday. (7) I am an empath, so please don’t touch me.

15 blogs:  (1) Danica Avet- because I owe her a Milk shake and she got me into this mess: http://danicaavet.wordpress.com/   (2) Darlene Henderson- ’cause she has a loved them then, love them now feature to her blog: http://dandwh.wordpress.com/   (3) SherryFowlerChancellor because she is my host-body: http://sherryfowlerchancellor.wordpress.com/ and yep. that’s cheating. LOL!  (4) Allison Knight- great writer- love the Gothic:      http://www.allisonknight.blogspot.com/ (5) AmberLeighWilliams- cause she is a really cool chica:  http://www.amberleighwilliams.blogspot.com/   (6) Tara Tew- she’s an awesome girl:  http://merlotchic.blogspot.com//  (7) CathyZielske- great scrapbooker and all around spectacular woman: http://cathyzielske.typepad.com/ (8) Cynthia Eden- because she likes to hunt ghosts w/me: http://www.cynthiaeden.com/blog/  (9) Runere Mclain (10) SaydeGrace (11) Lizbeth (12) Rita VanFleet (13) Arabella Stokes (14) GothicDweller – all my Southern Sizzle girls: http://southernsizzleromance.wordpress.com/   and (15) Petit fours and Hot Tamales for letting me have a guest shot with them back in June: http://petitfoursandhottamales.com/ (16) Because I cheated w/ the host body thing, I’ll add Paige Tyler for her hot men section: http://paigetylertheauthor.blogspot.com/

10 Comments

Posted in Random thoughts | Tags: ,

Posted by: Author | July 4, 2010

Bali, “Surfer Bride” and Emmy

I have a dear friend that  is a retired clinical psychologist. Her name is Emmy. She’s amazing to spend time with- her world view is awesome and I love to talk to her about life in general, reading, and books.  She’s a ballroom dancer and is one of the most graceful women I know.  She also enjoys hearing about my writing and what I am planning to write next.  I spent the evening with her last night and she cooked a wonderful meal for us. 

As we chatted, I told her a bit about Surfer Bride and that the heroine was going to make it to Indonesia in the book as part of the professional surf tour. I  had forgotten that Emmy had spent some time in Bali.  She got so excited about Indonesia playing a role in my latest manuscript, that she pulled out pictures, Buddhas, and textiles.  We had a grand time looking at all her memorabilia AND I took some great insider notes that will be incorporated into  my WIP.

A marvelous evening with a friend turned into a treasure chest of great ideas.  Thanks and love to you,  Emmy. 

2 Comments

Posted in Random thoughts, Writing | Tags: , , ,

Posted by: Author | July 2, 2010

Friday Facts- July 2, 2010- Codpiece

Those of you that know me well know I complete about 7 crossword puzzles a day and do so in pen (gasp!).  The other day as I filled in a puzzle, one of the  answers was codpiece and I said to myself,  “Self, this is a good thing to talk about on Friday Facts.”  And here we are- a Friday needing a fact.  So here ya go.

Codpieces came about so that men would have easy access to relieving themselves without removing their breeches (sounds pretty lazy to me). The name came from the old English word for scrotum or “codd” – the pieces of fabric that made up the cod piece were initially flat and laced or tied closed.

There is a story about Anne Boleyn and the Duke of Bologna wherein he appeared before her after leaving his lady love and hastily closing his cod piece- the bulge in his pants amused her and she asked him if that was his cod or  was he just glad to see her. (Of course, she said it in old English, not modern slang) . Interesting that the old saying came from  her, huh?  Another nail in her coffin (pun intended).

Henry heard her comment and thought the Duke was sporting the newest style from the European Continent and he asked his tailors to make his codpieces padded  like Bologna.  He meant the Duke but his tailors pictured sausages and thus the size of Henrys’ codpieces were quite large. 

Codpieces are used more these days in the sadist and/or leather culture.  Some ballet boys also pad their tights.  AND some, like Barishnikov, don’t- or so I’ve heard.

check out the Prince of Persia’s codpiece:

5 Comments

Posted in Friday Facts | Tags: , , , , ,

Posted by: Author | July 1, 2010

Happy Christmas in July

Here’s wishing you a Happy Christmas in July.  Thought we all needed a little Christmas Cheer here in the 100+ degree heat index of Florida’s Gulf Coast.  Try to cool off with Sexy Santa. Or maybe a cold shower?

2 Comments

Posted in Random thoughts | Tags: , ,

Posted by: Author | June 30, 2010

Wordless Wednesday- June 30, 2010

4 Comments

Posted in Wordless Wednesday | Tags: ,

« Newer Posts - Older Posts »

Categories